Lothian Group discussion (Lothian City, Lothian Country Bus and East Coast Buses)

Bus9120UK · 21 Jun 2022

ScotRail158725 said:
Is 1143 still operating from Marine but not tracking?

It's out right now in continued regular use and tracking properly.

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ScotRail158725 · 21 Jun 2022

Bus9120UK said:
It's out right now in continued regular use and tracking properly.

Ah, thanks. Not checked recently

Lothianbus703 · 22 Jun 2022

Am I right in saying pre COVID Lothian used to operate a lot more single decker routes and buses (I am aware the loss of 20 63 contributed to the lower amount of single decks)?

CN04NRJ · 22 Jun 2022

ScotRail158725 said:
Is 1143 still operating from Marine but not tracking?

Yes, it was on the 48 yesterday.

stantheman · 22 Jun 2022

Drove out on the old Turnhouse airport road ...a once lovely drive ruined by housing work and a complete mess . Did notice some bus stops though and seemed to refer to a service 68 .. not sure if this is a current or old service and who operates it .

Bus9120UK · 22 Jun 2022

stantheman said:
Drove out on the old Turnhouse airport road ...a once lovely drive ruined by housing work and a complete mess . Did notice some bus stops though and seemed to refer to a service 68 .. not sure if this is a current or old service and who operates it .

Service 68 is operated by First, every 1 hour 10 minutes I believe? Monday - Saturday.

LothianBusesPh · 22 Jun 2022

stantheman said:
Drove out on the old Turnhouse airport road ...a once lovely drive ruined by housing work and a complete mess . Did notice some bus stops though and seemed to refer to a service 68 .. not sure if this is a current or old service and who operates it .

Think that route is operated by First Bus, although I'm not too sure on that one.

ScotRail158725 · 22 Jun 2022

stantheman said:
Drove out on the old Turnhouse airport road ...a once lovely drive ruined by housing work and a complete mess . Did notice some bus stops though and seemed to refer to a service 68 .. not sure if this is a current or old service and who operates it .

Operated by First from Livingston every hour or so Monday to Saturday, Edinburgh city council tendered route

Siemens Trains · 22 Jun 2022

ScotRail158725 said:
Operated by First from Livingston every hour or so Monday to Saturday, Edinburgh city council tendered route

Did Lothian or any of their predecessors operate a route to Turnhouse? I can't imagine this was ever commercially viable with only a handful of houses and some freight depots out that way.

FlybeDash8Q400 · 22 Jun 2022

Siemens Trains said:
Did Lothian or any of their predecessors operate a route to Turnhouse? I can't imagine this was ever commercially viable with only a handful of houses and some freight depots out that way.

The last Lothian route I know of to run to Turnhouse was the 48B. When exactly it stopped or even what route it took I can’t quite remember. I do think it served Longstone though.

Lothianbus703 · 23 Jun 2022

FlybeDash8Q400 said:
The last Lothian route I know of to run to Turnhouse was the 48B. When exactly it stopped or even what route it took I can’t quite remember. I do think it served Longstone though.

What was the 48B??

GusB · 23 Jun 2022

Lothianbus703 said:
What was the 48B??

The answer is in the post that you've just replied to!

Baileygirl · 23 Jun 2022

Siemens Trains said:
Did Lothian or any of their predecessors operate a route to Turnhouse? I can't imagine this was ever commercially viable with only a handful of houses and some freight depots out that way.

The 68 was operated by Waverly Travel before First. I am sure Lothian operated a 25 from St Andrews Square or Charlotte Square to Turnhouse. I remember seeing a picture of a Leyland National on it in one of the Squares.

scosutsut · 23 Jun 2022

Just to confirm 844 is back with ECB post repaint into the new (can we call it counties?) dark green and white, complete with appropriate fleet names.

Lothian_Bus · 23 Jun 2022

Siemens Trains said:
Did Lothian or any of their predecessors operate a route to Turnhouse? I can't imagine this was ever commercially viable with only a handful of houses and some freight depots out that way.

The 85 used to go there as well back in the 1980's and the 31 on Sunday's.

Bus9120UK · 23 Jun 2022

scosutsut said:
Just to confirm 844 is back with ECB post repaint into the new (can we call it counties?) dark green and white, complete with appropriate fleet names.

Yes. 844, 845 and 850 are all in the livery. (850 just finished) and 847 will join them within the next week. 843 is also now being prepped for paint. A few people refer to it as the "joint livery" or "racecar green livery".

ScotRail158725 · 23 Jun 2022

551 has also returned from Ferrymill in Madder and white

scosutsut · 23 Jun 2022

Bus9120UK said:
Yes. 844, 845 and 850 are all in the livery. (850 just finished) and 847 will join them within the next week. 843 is also now being prepped for paint. A few people refer to it as the "joint livery" or "racecar green livery".

Is it looking like ECB will retain all 10 then?

Bus9120UK · 23 Jun 2022

scosutsut said:
Is it looking like ECB will retain all 10 then?

Indeed

scosutsut · 23 Jun 2022

Bus9120UK said:
Indeed

Nice one, thank you. I think on balance it makes sense to leave them be. Perhaps replace them and the ex Airlinks as one batch in the future.

Assume the more recent loans of 9xx vehicles from LCB is just temporary as paint floats, previously being covered by the hybrids?

FlybeDash8Q400 · 23 Jun 2022

scosutsut said:
Assume the more recent loans of 9xx vehicles from LCB is just temporary as paint floats, previously being covered by the hybrids?

Correct. The LC liveried Gemini2’s at ECB are covering for 591-594. These extra buses make up the paint floats.

scosutsut · 23 Jun 2022

FlybeDash8Q400 said:
Correct. The LC liveried Gemini2’s at ECB are covering for 591-594. These extra buses make up the paint floats.

And what's the deal with 591-4? Surely they aren't all knackered?

Blindtraveler · 23 Jun 2022

Wouldn't surprise me if those for hybrids ended up back at country, maybe on the 276 which by all accounts is rather busy

ScotRail158725 · 23 Jun 2022

scosutsut said:
And what's the deal with 591-4? Surely they aren't all knackered?

I reckon its likely they’ll end up the 201-215 of the ECB fleet

CN04NRJ · 23 Jun 2022

scosutsut said:
And what's the deal with 591-4? Surely they aren't all knackered?

11 year old early B5LHs that as far as I know haven't had the battery packs replaced. Maybe a conversion to straight diesel with a ZF box like the one GNE have done?

Maybe they would have been better off painted red and pottering about on the 12 or another easy going route in the city.

Blindtraveler · 23 Jun 2022

Straight diesel conversion doesn't sound like a bad idea actually. After all everyone on here is always saying how short of double decks they are

scosutsut · 23 Jun 2022

CN04NRJ said:
11 year old early B5LHs that as far as I know haven't had the battery packs replaced. Maybe a conversion to straight diesel with a ZF box like the one GNE have done?

Maybe they would have been better off painted red and pottering about on the 12 or another easy going route in the city.

Did they have a much easier life in LCB prior to their short stint at ECB? I would have thought the amounts of fast running would have been similar?

computerSaysNo · 23 Jun 2022

Blindtraveler said:
Straight diesel conversion doesn't sound like a bad idea actually. After all everyone on here is always saying how short of double decks they are

The B5LH is a "parallel hybrid" system, which means at lower speeds either the motor or engine, or a blend of both, provide propulsion, and at higher speeds propulsion is provided exclusively from the engine, correct?
As opposed to for example the ADL E350H, where propulsion is always from the electric motor, and when required the engine turns a generator to supplement the power from the battery?

If so then doesn't this mean you could just isolate the propulsion battery on a B5LH and it would just perform as identical to a B5TL (albeit with the automated-manual gearbox and clutch)?

CN04NRJ · 23 Jun 2022

Blindtraveler said:
Straight diesel conversion doesn't sound like a bad idea actually. After all everyone on here is always saying how short of double decks they are

It'd just basically be a B5TL at that point, albeit with the smaller euro 5 (4?) engine.

computerSaysNo said:
The B5LH is a "parallel hybrid" system, which means at lower speeds either the motor or engine, or a blend of both, provide propulsion, and at higher speeds propulsion is provided exclusively from the engine, correct?
As opposed to for example the ADL E350H, where propulsion is always from the electric motor, and when required the engine turns a generator to supplement the power from the battery?

If so then doesn't this mean you could just isolate the propulsion battery on a B5LH and it would just perform as identical to a B5TL (albeit with the automated-manual gearbox and clutch)?

The GNE one had a ZF ecolife fitted in place of the i-Shift. I can't imagine how sluggish they'd be with such a small engine and that gearbox alone.

computerSaysNo · 23 Jun 2022

CN04NRJ said:
It'd just basically be a B5TL at that point, albeit with the smaller euro 5 (4?) engine.

The GNE one had a ZF ecolife fitted in place of the i-Shift. I can't imagine how sluggish they'd be with such a small engine and that gearbox alone.

The B5LH and B5TL both have the same size engine though..?

Lothian Group discussion (Lothian City, Lothian Country Bus and East Coast Buses)

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